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Most people know about collagen as that thing doctors inject into your lips to plump them up. So if you’ve heard about people ingesting collagen lately, you may be wondering why people do it and what the benefits are.

Hydrolyzed collagen is a fine powder composed of small amino acids that help form new collagen in the body. It’s derived from bovine bone and cartilage. The process goes like this: bone is crushed, ground, defatted and soaked in acid to remove the calcium and break the collagen bonds. Then this mixture is dehydrated.

Many claim hydrolyzed collagen protects joints, improves digestion, improves hair, skin and nail health and promotes lean muscle mass (although there is no scientific evidence supporting any of these claims).

One serving of hydrolyzed collagen is two rounded tablespoons, which is 43 calories and includes 11 grams of protein. It dissolves in cold, warm and hot liquids. So you can add it to your coffee or smoothie before blending and you won’t even taste it. You can also mix it into a glass of water, but the collagen has a slight taste to it (not unpleasant, but you can tell it is there).